Process of and means for applying elastic sleeves on conduits and the like



G. c. BURD\ Oct. 22, 1940.

PROCESS OF AND-MEANS FDR APPLYING ELASTIC SLEEVES ON CONDUITS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 23, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I I GOP/HAN c. dump A'II'TORNEY Cd. 22, 1940. 5, Q BURD 2,218,904

PROCESS OF AND MEANS FOR APPLYING ELASTIC SLEEVES ON CONDUITS AND THE LIKE- Filed Jan) 23, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 22 '1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF AND MEANS FOR. APPLYING ELASTIC SLEEVES ON CONDUITS AND THE LIKE Application January 23, 1937, Serial No. 122,089

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a novel process of applying sleeves of rubber or other elastic material at predetermined points on conduits and other elongated members and to a novel mechanism for carrying out said process.

The invention is particularly adapted for applying bumpers or flexible grommets on Bowden wire casings, such as flexible brake tubes of automobiles, so as to keep the casings from rattling or rubbing against frame members or other parts.

Manifestly the invention will also be useful in applying sleeves of elastic material on other elonated members.

The sleeve or grommet must fit very snugly on 1. the casing so as to maintain its position at a predetermined point thereon in service, and heretofore the task of applying the grommets quickly and at small cost has presented a serious problem, particularly where the grommets have to be passed over ferrules or binding sleeves at the ends of the casings.

My invention has for an object to overcome this difliculty by automatically expanding the grommet, passing it in expanded condition over the end of the casing to the point where it is to be located on the casing and thereafter depositing the grommet on the casing at such point.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for gauging the point on the conduit or other extended member at which the grommet is to be deposited.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the following description of my improved process and of a preferred apparatus for carrying out the process and. thereafter the novelty and scope of the invention will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my preferred form of apparatus for applying grommets to extended members, the view showing the parts in a preliminary step of the process, a portion of the apparatus being .shown in section to reveal interior details;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a 'view in vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 but showing the parts on' a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan view .partly in section showing another step of my process; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmental plan view showing still another step of the process.

The mechanism shown in the drawings is mounted on an elongated bed III of inverted U- shape in cross section. Mounted on the bed and running transversely across the same near one end, are two spaced undercut rails II and I2 which form slideways for an inverted T-shaped slide block I 3. The latter when in the normal operative position shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 is 10- 6 cated midway of the width of the bed and bears against a stop I4 secured to the bed. The block I3 is slidable to an inoperative position shown in Fig. 5, in which position it bears against a bracket l5 bolted to one side of the bed. 10

The slide block I3 is formed with a circular recess l6 which opens inwardly or toward the right, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, and concentric with this recess there is an opening H which passes through the outer face of the block. Mounted 15 within the recess is an expansible abutmentvand clutch which comprises four sector shaped jaws 20 resiliently bound together by a circumferentially disposed coil spring 2| seated in an outer peripheral slot 22 formed in the jaw members. 20 Each jaw is also individually pressed inwardly by means of a coil spring 24 which is seated in a socket in the outer periphery of the jaw and bears against the peripheral wall of the circular recess l6. Thus, normally the jaws occupy the 26 position shown in Fig. 3 and define between them a central Opening 26 which is axially alined with the much larger opening IT. A cover plate 21 is secured to the block to close the mouth of the recess l6 and this cover plate is formed with a cen- 30 tral opening 28 which is also coaxial with the openings 26 and I1.

A pair of brackets 30 and 3| are mounted on the bed I 0 and provide bearings through which a tube 32 may slide. This tube has a reduced ex- 35 tension 33 secured therein, the outer end of the extension being normally supported in a bearing bracket 34 also secured to the bed Ill. The bore of tube 32 is of the same diameter as that of the extension 33, and is in axial alinement with the 40 hole 26 when the slide block is in operative position. A pilot member 36 is adapted to be detachably connected to the free end of the extension 33. This pilot member has a plug portion 31 which fits snugly into the bore of the extension 45 33, and at the outer end of the pilot there is a cylindrical stud 38 just large enough to pass freely through the opening 26 when the latter is at its smallest diameter. Connecting the plug 31 and the stud 38 is a conical body 39 which at its largest diameter adjacent the plug is of the same diameter as and in register with the exterior of extension 33. Thus, when the pilot is'fitted to the end of the extension the tube 32 may be advanced toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, and 5 the pilot will then enter the hole 28 in the expansibleabutment. As the conical portion 39 of the pilotis forced through the hole 26 the Jaws 2d of the abutment will be moved radially outward to accommodate the increasing diameter of the tapered body 39. When the tube 32 is withdrawn the pilot will be separated from the extension 33, being retained by the jaws 20.

A convenient means for moving the tube 32 back and forth consists of a hand lever M which is fuicrumed at 4| to one end of a link 42, while the other end of the link is pivotally connected at 43 to the bed Ill. The lever 49 passes under the tube 32 and a collar 45 fixed on the tube 38 is formed with 9. depending stud 46 which enters an aperture in the lever, so that as the lever is swung back and forth the tube 32 will be correspondingly' moved. A .plate 48 is secured to one side of the bed l and is formed with ears 49 and 50 respectively, which project into the path of the lever 40 and serve as stops to limit the stroke of the lever.

As will be explained more fully hereinafter, the conduit or other member on which the rubber grommet is to be applied is passed through the tube 32 and extension 33, and a gauge is provided to determine the position of the casing in the tube as desired. To this end a long narrow plate 52 is mounted on the under side of the bed l0, being clamped thereto by means of cleats 53 bolted to the frame. The plate 52 carries at its left hand end, as viewed in Fig. 1, a vertical stop member 54 and also mounted on the plate 52 is an adjustable stop member 55 which may be clamped thereon at any desired position by means of a clamping plate 56 and a pair of screws 51.

In operation, the slide block I3 is first moved against the stop I! so that it occupies its operative position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. A grommet or sleeve 60 of rubber or other suitable elastic material is fitted upon the cylindrical end 33 of the pilot member 36 and the latter is inserted in the end of the extension 33. The lever 40 is now operated to advance the tube 32 and the pilot 36. While the pilot may pass freely through the opening 26 the sleeve 60 is prevented from doing so because it is of larger diameter than said opening. As the pilot advances through the opening '26 the jaws 20 spread apart but the grommet continues to bear against the adjacent side face of the jaws and is pushed up the tapered body 39 of the pilot until it clears the pilot and is supported on the extension 33, as shown in-Fig. 4. It will be understood, of course, that the opening 28 in the cover plate 21 is large enough to clear the sleeve 6-0 when the latter is fully expanded and supported on the extension 33. The tube 32 is now withdrawn sufficiently to disengage the pilot which remains gripped between the jaws 20. The slide block I3 is then moved to idle position against the stop bracket l5, as shown in Fig. 5. The member 62 upon which the sleeve is to be applied is then inserted in the tube 32 and extension 33 and abutted against one or the other of the stops 54 and 55. Thereafter further movement of the handle 40 will withdraw the extension 33 and cause the bearing bracket 34 to strip the sleeve60 01f the extension 33 and deposit-it upon the member 62. Fig. shows the sleeve partly stripped off and deposited upon the member 62.

The member 62, fragmentally shown in the drawings, is a flexible brake tube provided with a wrapped end fitting or ferrule 63. T e .2

diameter of the extension 33 and tube 32 is sufficient to clear the outer diameter of this ferrule 50 that when the sleeve 50 is expanded and deposited upon the extension 33 it may easily be passed over the ferrule 63 and be deposited upon the main body of the casing 62 wherever desired.

The location of the sleeve 60 on the brake tube will depend upon the position of the stop against which the ferrule bears with relation to the stripping bracket 34.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of apparatus for carrying out my improved process it will be understood that other means may also be employed for this purpose and the particular embodiment disclosed is not to be construed as limitative of my invention. I reserve the right to make various changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for applying a closely fitting elastic sleeve upon an extended member, the combination of a frame, a sleeve supporting tubular member mounted for axial movement on said frame, a pilot detachably connected to one end of said tubular member, an expansible sleeve abutment provided with an aperture receiving the pilot and adapted to force a sleeve over the pilot upon the adjacent end of the tubular member when the tubular member and pilot are moved in one direction, means to contract the sleeve abutment with suflicient force upon the pilot to hold the same against movement when the tubular member is moved in the opposite direction to detach the pilot from the tubular member, means for supporting the abutment for subsequent movement laterally of the frame and tubular member whereby the extended member may be inserted into the tubular member, a gauge against which the end of the extended member may be abutted to determine the portion of the extended member upon which the sleeve is to be deposited, a stripper in the path of movement of the sleeve, operating to stop the sleeve upon further movement of the tubular member in said opposite direction to strip the sleeve off the tubular member and deposit the same upon the extended member and means for moving said tubular member in said two directions.

2. In an apparatus for applying a closely fitting elastic sleeve upon an extended member, the combinationof a frame, a sleeve supporting tubular member mounted for axial movement on the frame, a pilot detachably connected to one end of the tubular member, an expansible sleeve abutment provided with an aperture receiving the pilot and adapted to force a sleeve over the pilot upon the adjacent end of the tubular member when the tubular member and pilot are moved in one direction, means to contract the sleeve abutment with sufficient force upon the pilot to hold the same against movement when the tubular member is moved in the opposite direction to detach the pilot from the tubular member, means for supporting the abutment and tubular member for subsequent relative movement laterally of the frame whereby the extended member may be inserted into the tubular member, and a stripper in the path of the sleeve located and operating to stop the sleeve upon further movement of the tubular member in said opposite direction to strip the sleeve oflf the tubular member and deposit the same upon the extended member. 3. In an apparatus for applying a closely ntting elastic sleeve upon an extended member, the

combination of a frame, a sleeve supporting tubular member, an expansible sleeve abutment, means for supporting the tubular member and expansible sleeve abutment for relative movement in the direction oi. the axis of the tubular member and for relative movement at ,right angles to said axis, a tapered pilot detachably connected to one end of the tubular member, said abutment being provided with an aperture to receive the pilot and adapted to force a sleeve P over the pilot upon the adjacent end of the tubular member when the tubular member and pilot and the abutment member are moved relatively toward each other in the direction of the axis oi the tubular member, means to contract the abutment with sufllcient force to cooperate with the pilot to hold the same against movement with respect to the abutment when the tubular member and abutment are moved away from each other in the direction of the axis of the tubular member to detach the pilot from the tubular member, means for moving the abutment and supporting member relatively laterally whereby the extended member may be inserted into the tubular member, a stripper, and means for supporting said stripper and tubular member for relative movement in the direction of the axis of the tubular member, said stripper operating to strip the sleeve ofl from the tubular member and deposit the same upon the extended member upon such relative movement.

- GORMAN C. BURD. 

